Nigerians Should Take Responsibility for Allowing Impunity to Thrive, Says Soyinka

*Lumumba, Komolafe, Utomi, Adegboruwa bemoan spate of impunity

Nobelist, Professor Wole Soyinka, has said every Nigerian should take responsibility for allowing impunity thrive in the country.

According to him, Nigerians are paying for not being able to protest and denounce impunity in the country,
Soyinka stated this in his remarks at the 24th edition of the Wole Soyinka Lecture Series organized by the National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) held via zoom with the theme National Conference Against Impunity.

Soyinka noted that all the dire events that had overtaken and overwhelmed Nigeria were traceable to impunity.

He pointed out that the topic was timely considering that it was instructive for Nigerians, adding that it was not late to reverse the trend.

“I would probably expect that from different perspectives in terms of timing, there might be disagreement, I am absolute certain that we would agree that one of the major reasons for the dilemma we are undergoing in this country right now is that we permitted, we nurtured, we even encouraged, either by actions or inactions, the mindset of impunity both in leadership and among the people. We ourselves are equally guilty. We ourselves allowed it. We watched it happened. We didn’t take to the streets to protest it, to denounce it, to warn of the consequences. Oh yes, there were warnings here and there but they were not concerted and structured. So it is not too late to reverse the trend. But at least we must first begin a frank, honest and objective dialogue, “he said.

The keynote speaker, Prof Patrick Lumunba in his paper stated that the issue of impunity was not applicable to Nigeria alone but the African continent.

He lamented that rather than be enraged by impunity, Nigerians and Africans rewarded corrupt leaders with reelection.

“It is pertinent to ask why Nigeria which had such great promise continues to wallow in the lower rungs of human development. Why are Africans and Nigerians silent in the face of impunity? Why in the words of Wole Soyinka has the man in us died,” Lumunba said.

According to him, the people should hold themselves responsible for refusing to act and being part of the misfortune that has befallen the country.

“Despite the impunity by our public office holders, by some miracle, we are not enraged! It would also seem that we have lost the gift of disgust. Why is this so, who cursed us?

“We are the co-authors of our own misfortune because we have lost our values and now resort to religion. We now choose to apply faith instead of logic, elevating the principle of ‘Donothingnism’. We have created leaders who have arrogated to themselves the monopoly of wisdom and the country is now run in a narrow and primordial fashion,” he added.

Lumumba however said in the midst of the gloom, the people must remain hopeful and ensure impunity does not triumph by holding leaders accountable.

Also speaking, the Deputy- Managing Director of THISDAY, Mr Kayode Komolafe, noted that impunity in socio-economic policies was pervasive.

Komolafe, who corroborated Soyinka that impunity thrives because it was permitted, added that there was a class narration to the issue of impunity.
Komolafe who regretted that Nigerians had not made accountability the bedrock of democracy in the country, which allows leaders not to be asked questions, noted that the Nigerian system reinforces impunity.

Other speakers, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, Ms Cynthia Mbamalu and Prof Pat Utomi advocated for concerted efforts from the people to end impunity.